KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Belgium’s Covid-19 health care is expected to collapse in 10 days, according to the president of the country’s medical union.
Dr Philippe Devos, who is also an intensivist in the critical care unit at the CHC Montlegia Hospital in Liege, told DW that Covid-19 infections in Belgium will implode in 10 days, citing mathematical models, after the European country reported a daily record-high of over 20,000 coronavirus cases on October 29.
“So, in 10 days, we will have only two choices available: Transfer patients to Germany and hope we won’t do triage…. or we’ll have to do triage. [That means] there will be only one bed remaining, and two patients.
“And the doctors will have to choose which one of the two patients will be able to be in the only bed we have. That’s triage. Usually, it’s done in terrorism, in war, in catastrophes like a nuclear explosion,” Dr Devos was quoted saying.
He reportedly said doctors in hospitals in Liege, the third biggest city in Belgium, are forced to work only in Covid-19 wards even if they are infected with coronavirus, as long as they are asymptomatic.
“Actually, they’re authorised to work only if their own viral load is low. So they must be asymptomatic with a low viral load. This means that they cannot increase the viral load of a patient,” Dr Devos was quoted saying, adding that these doctors wear FFP2 masks to avoid transmitting the virus, besides other protective measures.
“The only other solution is not to admit a patient into the hospital. They are forced to choose between dying, or being treated by a ‘positive’ doctor. All the patients are choosing not to die.”
He noted that some people in Belgium were still refusing to wear face masks or to practice social distancing.
“I’ve seen people dying and regretting that they didn’t wear the mask. I saw that. I saw families that had big parties with all the family members. And all the family members were infected. And I’ve got a family right now where 80% of the family is in the beds here. Right now, just after a birthday party.
“That’s what I’m seeing now. But the danger now in Europe is everywhere. If people don’t take hard measures soon, then you will live a nightmare like we are living right now.”
